Ryan McGowan

Ryan McGowan of Livingston was born in Adelaide, Australia on 15 August 1989 (age 37).

Ryan McGowan, born on 15 August 1989 (age 37), is an Australian centre-back with Livingston. An imposing 6ft 3in (1.91m) defender, he wears squad number five and has built a long professional career around reliability rather than fuss.

He first made a proper mark in Scotland with Hearts, where his 2011-12 league season was the most productive of his career: 28 appearances and two goals. That is hardly Roy of the Rovers material, but for a centre-half it was useful enough, and it came during the spell that established him as a senior player.

McGowan is now with Livingston, and in 2026-27 he has made 10 appearances across all competitions, including eight in the Championship and one each in the League Cup and Scottish Cup. His current market value is around £21,000, according to Transfermarkt.

His career has been that of an established Australian defender with a solid Scottish thread: Hearts gave him his platform, and Livingston remain his current club.

📈 Key stats and insights

Ryan McGowan has made 8 appearances (5 starts, 3 as substitute) in Championship 2026 - 2027

Ryan McGowan has one League Cup appearance and one Scottish Cup appearance in 2026 - 2027

Ryan McGowan joined Livingston on a free transfer in July 2024

Ryan McGowan is 37 and has a market value of €25k

Last updated 7 October 2026. Send feedback

Ryan McGowan stats

Check out all of the statistics about Ryan McGowan.

Central Defender
Primary Position: Defender
Position

Ryan McGowan

CD

1.91m (6ft 3in)
Height: 5
Squad Number: 75kg (11st 11lb)
Weight: 15 August 1989 (age 37)
Date of Birth: Adelaide
Birthplace: Australia 🇦🇺
Country of Birth: Livingston
Team: £21,000 (via Transfermarkt)
Market Value

📊 Season stats

Team: Livingston
Championship 2026 - 2027
Games: 10
Starting: 7
Substitute: 3
Unused: 1
Utilisation: 91%
Goals: -
Yellows: -
Reds: -

Team: Livingston
League Cup 2026 - 2027
Games: 1
Starting: 1
Substitute: -
Unused: 3
Utilisation: 25%
Goals: -
Yellows: -
Reds: -

Team: Livingston
Scottish Cup 2025 - 2026
Games: 1
Starting: 1
Substitute: -
Unused: -
Utilisation: 100%
Goals: -
Yellows: -
Reds: -

McGowan has made eight appearances (five starts and three as substitute) in Championship 2026 - 2027, with single outings in the League Cup and Scottish Cup – that pattern marks him as an experienced rotational central defender relied on for squad depth at Livingston.

📋 Career stats

Team: Livingston
Season 2026 - 2027
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 10
Goals: -

Team: Livingston
Season 2025 - 2026
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 23
Goals: -

Team: Livingston
Season 2024 - 2025
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 36
Goals: -

Team: St Johnstone
Season 2023 - 2024
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 29
Goals: 1

Team: St Johnstone
Season 2022 - 2023
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 28
Goals: 1

Team: Sydney FC
Season 2020 - 2021
Country: Australia 🇦🇺
Games: 22
Goals: -

Team: Sydney FC
Season 2019 - 2020
Country: Australia 🇦🇺
Games: 26
Goals: 1

Team: Dundee
Season 2018 - 2019
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 15
Goals: -

Team: Dundee United
Season 2015 - 2016
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 22
Goals: -

Team: Dundee United
Season 2014 - 2015
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 12
Goals: 1

Team: Shandong Taishan
Season 2014
Country: China 🇨🇳
Games: 17
Goals: 1

Team: Shandong Taishan
Season 2013
Country: China 🇨🇳
Games: 29
Goals: 1

Team: Hearts
Season 2012 - 2013
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 20
Goals: -

Team: Hearts
Season 2011 - 2012
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 28
Goals: 2

Team: Partick Thistle
Season 2010 - 2011
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 8
Goals: -

Team: Hearts
Season 2010 - 2011
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 8
Goals: -

Team: Ayr United
Season 2009 - 2010
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 28
Goals: 1

Team: Hearts
Season 2007 - 2008
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 1
Goals: -

McGowan's career has alternated between Scottish clubs and overseas assignments, featuring moves involving Dundee (loan), Bradford City, Sydney FC, Al Kuwait and St Johnstone before his current club; he moved to Sydney FC in July 2019, to Al Kuwait in July 2021, to St Johnstone in July 2022 and to Livingston in July 2024. He is 37 and has a market value of €25k.

💰 Transfers

Team: Livingston
5 July 2024
From: St Johnstone
Type: Free Transfer

Team: St Johnstone
22 July 2022
From: Al Kuwait
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Al Kuwait
5 July 2021
From: Sydney FC
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Sydney FC
2 July 2019
From: Bradford City
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Dundee
31 January 2019
From: Bradford City
Type: Loan

Team: Bradford City
26 January 2018
From: Sharjah
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Sharjah
21 August 2017
From: Guizhou
Type: Undisclosed

Team: Guizhou
23 February 2017
From: Henan
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Henan
19 February 2016
From: Dundee United
Type: Fee (£300k)

Team: Dundee United
23 January 2015
From: Shandong Taishan
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Shandong Taishan
7 January 2013
From: Hearts
Type: Fee (£400k)

Team: Hearts
28 March 2011
From: Partick Thistle
Type: Returned from loan

Team: Partick Thistle
14 February 2011
From: Hearts
Type: Loan

Team: Hearts
1 June 2010
From: Ayr United
Type: Returned from loan

Team: Ayr United
12 October 2009
From: Hearts
Type: Loan

Team: Hearts
1 January 2008
Type: Signed

Permanent moves in McGowan's recent career were completed as free transfers and one temporary move was a loan – he joined Livingston from St Johnstone on a free transfer in July 2024, arrived at St Johnstone from Al Kuwait for free in July 2022, moved from Sydney FC to Al Kuwait for free in July 2021 and joined Sydney FC from Bradford City for free in July 2019, while the switch from Bradford City to Dundee in January 2019 was a loan – the sequence is dominated by free moves and short-term mobility across leagues.

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🔗 External links

Ryan McGowan on Transfermarkt